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New Faculty 2011-12

If you want to know the direction a university is headed, look at the faculty it hires.

Duke leadership and faculty agree that new faculty hires are among the most important decisions the university makes. "Disciplines are continuously changing and developing," says Angela O'Rand, dean of the social sciences and humanities. "For a department or a university to remain at the leading edge you have to replenish and bring in those who are working at the frontiers."

This year, Arts & Sciences at Duke added 23 regular-rank faculty members across all fields. Nearly all of the university's professional schools also added new faculty. Many of the hires were across departments and schools, with departments seeking to gain the most impact and value from each new person. Many of the new scholars added to Duke's strategic strengths, such as global health, neuroscience or the university's growing arts scene.

Duke Today has been profiling these and other new faculty members since the semester began. We invite you to take a moment to meet those you missed. Additional profiles will be added throughout the fall semester.